White van man goes upmarket

A new generation of tradesmen are turning their backs on the traditional white transit van in favour of top of the range commercial vehicles, research from insurer Swinton suggests.

The insurer has seen a dramatic increase in occupations like landscape gardeners, interior designers, organic grocers and gourmet caterers submitting insurance applications to cover up market vehicles like the Mercedes Vito and VW Transporter Sportline over the last two years.

But these vehicles and their contents - typically laptops, DAB radios and high value tools rather than power tools and stepladders - cost far more to insure.

Swinton says the average cover now stands at £25,000, compared with only £6,000 typical of a second hand panel van containing more basic equipment.

Hale-based landscape gardener Ben Edgell says he is typical of this new wave. He set up Arcadia Landscapes 12 years ago after over a decade working in the advertising industry.

Recently he decided he needed a practical commercial vehicle that would not look out of place at the car-park of his local tennis club, where he spends his leisure time. He chose a Mercedes Vito.

"I'm not at all surprised at Swinton's findings regarding an increase in self-employed people like me using more expensive vehicles and when I'm driving in the suburbs I often see vans like mine belonging to interior designers, boutique florists, organic butchers and similar traders," he said.

"I've nothing against more traditional vans - but I chose to invest in a vehicle that could double up as my personal transport and not look out of place in a car-park full of four by fours, family estates and people carriers. My van has many of the useful features found in the latest cars and also accommodates all the tools and materials I need to do my job. It gives me the best of both worlds."

A spokesperson from Swinton's commercial vehicle division said of the trend: "The high value of contents being insured also reflects the specialised nature of their occupations. For example, a recent application we received for a professional 'home stager' listed £3,000 worth of props including antique vases, modern artworks and Persian rugs amongst the items that required cover."